Herschel Gets In

“Mr. Walker, you have admitted you carried a gun and wanted to kill a man.”

“Mr. Warnock, that experience led me to Jesus. You’re a minister and you tried to run over your wife.”

A Herschel Walker v. Raphael Warnock debate would be one for the ages and Walker wants to make it happen. The former football star has moved his voter registration from Texas back to Georgia and intends to enter the race for the United States Senate.

I do not know a single credible Republican strategist in Georgia or Washington who thinks he can be beaten in the primary. I do not know a single credible Republican strategist who thinks he can win the general. The level of frustration and aggravation from Republicans in Georgia and Washington is hard to overstate. Short of a Republican megadonor opening nonstop fire on Walker with a Super PAC to air Walker’s dirty laundry, it will be hard to beat his favorable name ID in a GOP primary.

Herschel Walker is a legend in Georgia — or at least he was until he declared a partisan affiliation and tied himself to the man who lost Georgia to Joe Biden. And no, it wasn’t stolen. He suffers from multiple personality disorder and has been open with his mental health issues. His opponents are guaranteed to try to provoke him. Additionally, he hasn’t lived in Georgia in years as the Atlanta suburbs, voters, and demographics have changed. An icon of the early eighties from UGA, Walker is unknown to a lot of Georgians.

That said, if there’s a wave for the GOP in 2022, Walker will probably not have to worry. There are plenty of signs the suburbs are swinging back to the GOP. Crime is rampant in the Atlanta area. The Afghanistan situation is hurting the Democrats. Raphael Warnock has refused to help on the matter. The Insurance Commissioner for Georgia, John King, is also a Major General and has tried working with Warnock to get some people out of Afghanistan. Warnock refused to return his calls.

Brian Kemp will be on the ballot and Kelly Loeffler will be pouring money in to help the GOP and has been building up an organization to counter Stacey Abrams’ Fair Fight Georgia. The first signs of Loeffler’s organization’s power, a special election in the Atlanta suburbs, showed she can make big swings for the GOP in swing districts. Walker has hired Kemp’s press secretary to be his campaign spokeswoman.

Walker can pull it off. He will have to exercise a level of discipline he hasn’t had to exercise since the NFL. He is going to have a primary fight, but most think he can win it. Warnock is going to be tough. Walker has lots of baggage, but Warnock ran over his wife.

If Walker loses, it’ll be a black eye for Donald Trump. His pick, who he encouraged, will have contributed to the GOP not taking back the Senate. So Trump has a vested interest in helping. Still, the odds favor Warnock unless Herschel Walker shows real discipline on the trail and a level of stability some don’t think he currently possesses.

Keep your eye on Gary Black, Kelvin King, and Latham Saddler. The first is already elected statewide in Georgia as the Agriculture Commissioner. The second is a businessman who started an organization for black voters who supported Trump. The third is a former Navy SEAL who worked in the Trump White House. They are not going to give Walker a pass and are already in the race.